Cross-posted from ADCSovereignty blog
Watch “Ottawa Forum 2016: Getting the North American Relationships Right” on @Vimeo https://t.co/Upfrv73NmC – see 57 minute mark – citizens
— Citizenship Lawyer (@ExpatriationLaw) May 14, 2016
On January 31, 2016 I wrote a post about the Canada2020 conference on foreign policy. I noted with particular interest the participation of former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Gordon Giffen.
That post included:
From the perspective of Hon. Gordon D. Giffin, Dentons LLP:
This was of particular interest. I had forgotten that Gordon Giffin (U.S. Ambassador to Canada in the Clinton years) grew up in Canada. Mr. Giffin actually grew up in the Toronto area and attended Richview Collegiate (Stephen Harper’s High School). He returned to the United States for College and law school. In other words, the former U.S. Ambassador to Canada clearly has “Roots” (not the store, which also has a U.S. connection) in Canada.
He began by stating his view that the TPP should be understood to be an update to the NAFTA Treaty.
Mr. Giffin echoed the view that Canada, the U.S. and Mexico are “in effect” part of the same “neighborhood” and that each of the three countries should have a “North America Relations Department”.
Mr. Giffin made the statement (and this is a bit of a paraphrase) that it should “NOT be hard for people to move around the neighborhood”. Hmm… Do you think that FATCA and U.S. “citizenship taxation” might make it hard for North American residents to “move around the neighborhood”?
I assume that Mr. Giffin’s family was filing both U.S. and Canadian taxes during the many years the family was living in Canada. Therefore, he “might” have some concept of U.S. citizenship-based taxation. On the other hand, any concept of citizenship taxation that he might have, would have been formed prior to:
– FBAR, FATCA, PFIC, Foreign Trusts, etc.
– the FBAR Fundraiser
Assuming you are interested in the relationship between Canada and the United States, I highly recommend the video referenced in the above tweet. If you are impatient, you should pick it up at the 57 minute mark.
I would be interested in your comments.
My comment might not be terribly welcomed but here goes. I think this forum has been designed to promote the terrible TPP (it’s NOT an innocent “update” to NAFTA; it’s a diabolical corporate power grab) and to nudge forward the agenda of the North American Union which is even more terrible than TPP. I would go beyond that “benign neglect” in the Canada-US-Mexico relationship that McClellan bemoans but not in the direction she wants. I would go straight to an extreme sovereignty alert and advise a hasty retreat from all these trilateral integration and harmonizing schemes. That this forum and others like it exist is very distressing to me. I don’t want Canada to be a “roomy” with the USA and Mexico because I see great wisdom in the old adage that good fences make good neighbours. Look at it this way. It’s far safer to sail on a ship which has watertight compartments than one that does not. If one area of the ship is damaged, the flooding will be confined to one compartment and the ship will not sink.
“I assume that Mr. Giffin’s family was filing both U.S. and Canadian taxes during the many years the family was living in Canada. Therefore, he “might” have some concept of U.S. citizenship-based taxation. On the other hand, any concept of citizenship taxation that he might have, would have been formed prior to:
– FBAR, FATCA, PFIC, Foreign Trusts, etc.
– the FBAR Fundraiser”
but The Hon. Gordon D. Giffin lived in Canada as a young person, moving back to the U.S. after high school. “Mr. Giffen”, Gordon D.’s father, and his mother, probably did pay taxes to both the U,S. and Canada while the family lived in Canada (let’s give them the benefit of the doubt), but even though this was before FATCA, FBAR, etc., they probably used an accountant and didn’t discuss their tax situation with their son.
It’s not up-to-date but here’s a bit more info on Gordon Giffen:
http://news.muckety.com/2011/04/20/ex-ambassador-to-canada-reaps-high-corporate-compensation/31691
@EmBee
I have a whole slew of this stuff but it was too much to add to the post.
Working (finally) on ADCT website
@ Tricia
I’m watching the Brexit movie right now and reaffirming my view that these global-elite-inspired unions are bad news for both sovereignty and democracy.
The notion of privacy in the United States today would even amaze and astound the architects of some of the worst surveillance societies in recent history: East Germany, Romania, Albania, North Korea…
How much more of these sorts of things, when combined with FATCA, FBAR and all of the other surveillance tools, does a person need to learn about, before they open their eyes and realize that just maybe the least free place, the most oppressive surveillance society may be closer than they thought? Read and watch this first:
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/05/13/hidden-microphones-exposed-as-part-of-government-surveillance-program-in-the-bay-area/
“He began by stating his view that the TPP should be understood to be an update to the NAFTA Treaty.”
There’s no accepted definition of what a “trade agreement” is, so you can label any agreement (coerced or not) is being a “trade agreement”, including FATCA.
I prefer to understand the TPP as being more like the formation of an alternate unaccountable government run in secrecy by a few powerful corporations accountable only to their shareholders. Once the agreement is ratified, there rules are locked in place, and the only changes you’ll see come from court cases based around those lock in rules.
If Canada wants to improve environmental regulations, it’ll have a day in court to decide if it’s allowed or not. That’s definitely not progress, it’s a regressive step back, designed to monopolize corporate power.
Also don’t forget, it was NAFTA that helped give the NSA a backdoor into our census data.
Precisely, Middle Finger. I wonder what the US would think about Canada gaining the same level of access to information the US has under the Patriot Act?
For those of us around the world who need more visuals to help us understand so-called Trade Agreements — from NAFTA and beyond:
@calgary
excellent find. Clear, simple enough for people to understand. Too bad we have never been able to connect with Council of Canadians. They totally educated me about Beyond the Border Action Plan.
“Harmonization.” What a farce.
“Harmonization” is newspeak for “absorption”.
For others:
Beyond the Border Action Plan
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is one of many federal departments and agencies working to implement initiatives in support of this transformational vision. CIC is leading the development and implementation of several initiatives that fall within two of the four key areas of cooperation outlined in the Action Plan:
CIC works in collaboration with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on a number of Beyond the Border initiatives. For information on CBSA-led initiatives under the Action Plan, please visit their website.
Paul Hellyer has been warning us about CETA for years. If Canada ratifies this “trade agreement” he believes that the control of the Bank of Canada can never be returned to the Canadian government. The COMER lawsuit will definitely be kaput. All indications are that Trudeau is on board with this dastardly deal and our only hope is that European countries will keep dragging their heels.
https //www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v7Aifz0hbs (replace the colon)
Sadly you can see by the number of views on this video that virtually nobody is paying heed to Paul Hellyer’s warnings.
CETA Ratification Consequences for Canada ~ With Hon. Paul Hellyer – CETA Ratification For Canadians
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK4uY0ibVNg
http://www.watershedsentinel.ca/content/bank-canada-lawsuit
So Canada really will be able to prevent holders of valid US visas from entering the US?
Will Canada also be able to prevent the US from RENEWING the valid US visas of dead hijackers after they’re dead?